Plan a Small-Space Kitchen – HGTV Com

Create a small-scale, smooth-functioning hub with savvy space planning and chic style.

In a small New York City apartment reflective glass mosaics create an appealing focal point, distracting the eye momentarily from the size of the space. Design by Jason Landau ; photography by Peter Krupenye

Kitchens have morphed into multifunctional hubs where families gather to cook, entertain, pay bills, plan schedules, do homework and watch TV. But not everyone has enough square footage to serve all those functions and circulate comfortably.

Some kitchens, particularly those in walkable urban locations, may be long skinny galleys or tiny boxlike rectangles. That doesnt mean you cant cook together, house favorite equipment, sit, eat and make your space look stunning. You just have to do so on a smaller scale with smart planning and prioritizing. Here's how:

Budget smartly on cabinets and shelves. Cabinets are key to smart kitchen layouts and happy cooks. But because cabinets represent the biggest outlay of dollars for most remodeling jobs, about 50 percent to 60 percent, you should think hard about how many you want and really need.

Optimize storage. Having enough room for everything can be tricky with so many tempting gadgets. Heres how to find space:

David Young-Wolff

Designer Erica Islas of EMI Interior Design found room for a tiny round table by a window seat, almost like a Paris cafe.

Find space for an eating area. Tables gobble up kitchen real estate fast. Be sure to have 3 between a table and base cabinets for circulation. Add a peninsula or island where you can eat, use a rolling island, or knock down a wall between your kitchen and dining room, suggest designers Katie and Ruben Gutierrez of Errez Design.

You may have enough wasted space nearby that can be converted. A small 10 by 10 kitchen in a 1920s Miami house didnt have room for a table, but the Gutierrezes found a 6 by 7 laundry room that could also work with a banquette.

Expand your square footage with color and lighting. Here are a few tips for choosing colors and sufficient lighting to complement a room's size.

Accessorize wisely. Keep countertops clear of stuff. Heed conventional real estate wisdom by not leaving out more than three items. Integrate a microwave and coffeemaker into cabinetry; mount a paper towel holder and small TV on a wall; stick a knife block or rack in a deep drawer; organize spices in racks on interior cabinet doors; and group utensils on magnetic wall strips that add instant chef cachet.

Many small kitchens can't fit an island but by making it narrow and using an overhang, Christopher Grubb succeeded. Gray tiles laid on a diagonal expand the space visually. Photography by Greg Weiner

Build an island. Your kitchen island should have at least 3 of clearance on all sides to walk around, suggests designer Chris Berry, ASID, owner of brooksBerry & Associates Ltd. For comfort, go with 4 or 5 for stools to be pushed back, if there are appliances or cabinets behind. Most small-kitchen islands arent big enough to include two levels and also would look out of scale.

If you have room for an island, make it work hard. Add storage on the back side by appliances. Hide outlets with a strip of plug mold that you tuck underneath the countertop overhang or with a flip-down cover, so the island surfaces becomes another work area, says Clendenon. If the top is big enough, maybe, add an extra or even the main sink.

Keep the island in similar colors and materials to the rest of the room to make the room appear less choppy. There should also be fewer bold details: one type of handle on drawers or cabinets, one color or pattern, few distracting embellishments like brackets, corbels or furniture feet. Consider instead a small movable cart that can roll into another room.

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Plan a Small-Space Kitchen - HGTV Com